Closure operator



Oct. 14, 1952 A. J. COTE 2,613,928

CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed Feb. 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.

' JNVENTOR.

Arthur J. Cole Oct. 14, 1952 COTE 2,613,928

CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed Feb. 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arthur J. Cole INVENTOR.

Oct. 14, 1952 A. J. COTE CLOSURE OPERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 12, 1951 INVENTOR.

Arthur J. Cora,

BY 2mm WWW Z5 M519];

Get. 14, 1952 A. J. COTE CLOSURE OPERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 12, 1951 Arthur 'J. Cote, INVENTOR Patented ct. 14, 1952 CLOSURE OPERATOR Arthur J. Cote Clearwater, Fla., 'assign'or of onehalf to Amanda C. Cote, Clearwater, Fla.

Application February 12, 1951, Serial No. 210,555

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure operator composed of a plurality of operator sections coupled together and which sections are reduced or increased in number depending upon thewidth and heighth of the. window upon which the sections are mounted. v I

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a window stretcher of the aforementioned character that isextremely strong and practical in construction, simple in operation, inexpensive to assemble and service, inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted to the purpose's'for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside inthe details of construction and operation 'as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings forming part "hereof; wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, andin which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the present invention and showing the closures or windows in an open position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the present window construction illustrating the feed-screws and the manner in which the windows are operatively'connected to the frame and the traveling members on the feed screws;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 33 in Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the present frame construction showing the windows in their closed positions;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 and showing the windows raised;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 8-45 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse horizontal sectional 4 Claims. (01. 26821) view taken substantially onthe plane of broken sectional line 1? of Figure 6; and v Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the preferred manner in which adjacent sections of the vertical screws are joined.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral H] represents the invention generallycomposed of .an open, substantially rectangular, frame having an upper "horizontal portion I2, a lower horizontal portion It, and a pair of vertical portions [6 and I8. The ends of the portions l6, l8 and the ends of the portions [2, M are beveled and matched together to form a metered joint between the adjacent ends of the portionsinorder to provide the desired window frame construction. 7

Each of the frameformingportions is lpreferably extruded from metal to include ajchannel. The channels 28 and '22 of the vertical vportions 16 and I8 face each other and receive therein a pair of vertical screws 24 and 26 whose upper ends are positioned in journal brackets '23 and 30 having horizontally projectingarms 32 and '34 that are secured in the channels 336 of the upper portion '12 by fasteners 31. e 1

The screws 2 t, 26 each include a plurality of vertical, externally spirally grooved sections "38 and the adjacent ends of the sections 38 are joined by couplings til having endso ckets 42 and in which the adjacent ends of the adjacent sections are positioned. Holding pins or locking em members 46 are driven through the sockets d2, 44 and the ends of the sections 38 received therein to detachably-securethe sec-.

tions together and thereby permit the sections of each screw'to rotate as aunit.

A plurality of windows or closures QB extend between the vertical portions l6 and 18. These windows are disposed one above the otherand their ends are connected to theyertical portions I 6 and l'8by pitmans til, The pit'mans.

5B are terminally pivoted to the windows 48 medially the upper and lowerportions of 'the windows and are also pivoted to'channel brackets 52 suitably fixed within the channels 20, 22.

Traveling members 54 are threaded 'on' the screws '24, 26 by internal lugs carried 'by the members 54 -entering the grooves of the screws or by any suitable means, for example, the itrav cling members may be internally threaded :or

grooves of the screws 24, 26. There is provided one traveling member for each section 38 and the members 54 are pivoted to the ends of the windows 48 at the upper corners of the windows, so that as the screws 24, 26 rotate, the members 54 will travel vertically on the screws to push the windows upwardly or pull the windows downwardly, depending upon whether the screws are rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The upper corners of the windows are notched, as at 56, to permit the windows to clear the member 54 as the windows are moved to their lowered and closed position, during vertical movement of the traveling members.

Means is provided for rotating the screws 24 and 26 as a unit. This means consists of a pair of gear units 53 and 60 that are mounted in the channels 62 of the horizontal frame portion I4. The gear unit 58 rotatably supports a vertical shaft or axle 64 whose upper multisided end 65 enters a multi-sided recess or socket 68 in the lower end of the screw 24. This gear unit 58 also rotatably supports a horizontal shaft or axle I carrying a worm I2 that meshes with another worm I4 on the shaft 64.

A second horizontal shaft I6 forms part of the unit 58 and supports a worm I8 that meshes with the worm or gear 12.

Gear unit 60 includes a short vertical shaft 80 whose upper multi-sided end 82 has a multisided socket or recess 84 in the lower end of the screw 26. A pair of relatively perpendicular horizontal shafts 84 and 86 form part of a unit 60 and carry worms 88 and 90, respectively, that mesh with each other. The worm 88 also meshes with a worm 92 on the shaft 80.

The gear box or unit 60 rotatably supports a crank handle 94 and projects outwardly from the portion I4 and which carries a Worm 96 meshing with a gear 98 on the shaft 80 to hold the worm 92. The crank handle 94 is removably secured to the lower horizontal portion I4 preferably by a washer 95 that is threaded upon the portion of the crank handle supporting the worm 96 and bears against the inner face of the horizontal portion I4.

The inner adjacent ends of the shafts I6 and 86 are formed with multi-sided sockets or recesses that receive the multi-sided ends of a horizontal sectional rod of shaft I 00 having a central spherical portion I02. The spherical portion I02 is positioned in a bearing or cap I04 having slots I06 through which the rod I00 extends and a closure I08 is threaded on the cap I04 to retain the portion I02 in the bearing cap I04.

Fasteners IIO secure the units 58 and 60 to the bottom wall of the channel 62 and a fastener II2 secures the bearing I04 to the bottom wall of the channel 62. The units 58 and 60 include removable upper walls or cover plates I I4 and I I6 to permit access to the gears in the units 58 and 60.

All of the windows 48 are provided with lower off-set flanges, F. The flange F of one window will overlap the upper portion of an adjacent window when the windows are in their closed position. The flange F of the lower window will enter a marginal recess R in the outer face of the portion I4 when the windows are moved to their closed position.

The windows 48 are also provided with end flanges E that will seat in vertical recesses R1) in the outer faces of the portions I6 and I8 when the windows are in their closed position to properly seal the windows to the supporting frame.

, In practical use of the present invention, a manual rotation of the crank 94 approximately four complete turns, will be sufficient to raise the traveling nuts or members 54 to their extreme upper position and effectively move the windows to their closed position. A rotation of the crank handle 94 in an opposite direction, approximately four turns, will raise all of the windows to a substantially horizontal position and lower the traveling members 54 t their maximum position, inasmuch as the upper corners of the windows are pivoted to the traveling members 54 and as the ends of the windows are pivoted, below the traveling members to the frame through the mediums of pitmans 50.

Obviously, the number of windows or closures may be increased or decreased, depending upon the heighth of the window, by simply removing a suitable number of the coupling members 40 and also removing a suitable number of the sections 38. Also, the width of the operating mechanism portion within the hollow member I4 may be increased or decreased in length by utilizing a rod I00 that is shorter or longer than that illustrated. The rod I00 may be composed of sections similar to section 38 which are joined by a coupling means such as 40.

The frame forming portions I2, I4, I6 and I8 are applied to a wall opening 0 in a manner familiar to workmen skilled in this art. The frame forming members are also provided with channels in which the edges of the opening 0 are received when the instant invention is properly installed upon a supporting structure.

Figure 8 illustrates the preferred manner for detachably securing adjacent sections 38a of the vertical feed screws together. The adjacent ends of the sections 38a are provided with multi-sided or splined extensions 39 that enter multi-sided sockets or internally splined sockets M in the ends of the spherical coupling member 40a.

Spring urged locking balls or members B are radially movable in radial recesses in the sockets M and enter recesses R in the extensions 39 to yieldingly retain the extensions 39 seated in the sockets 4 I.

The joint thus described is self-aligning and the spherical portion thereof may be readily supported in bearings (similar to I04, I08) mounted on the frame.

Obviously, the feed screws may be rotated by a power means or by the crank. Also, the operator thus described is adaptable for all types of awning-type windows and is not to be limited to hollow types of extrudes.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A window structure comprising a frame including a pair of hollow vertical ortions and a hollow horizontal portion, a pair of vertically disposed screws mounted in said vertical portions for rotation. a plurality of windows disposed one above the other, traveling members threaded on said screws and pivoted to said windows, pitmans connecting said windows to said vertical portions, means in said horizontal portion and operatively connected to said screws for simultaneously rotating the screws to move the members on the screws, each of said screws including a plurality of vertical sections disposed one above the other, and means detachably securing the adjacent ends of adjacent sections together, said securing means includin an elongated coupling having end sockets receiving the adjacent ends of a pair of adjacent sections, and locking members carried by the end sockets and engaging the adjacent ends of the pair of adjacent sections to removably connect the coupling to adjacent sections.

2. A window structure comprising a frame including a pair of vertical portions and a horizontal portion joining the lower ends of said vertical portions, a pair of vertical screws rotatably supported by said vertical portions, a closure extending horizontally between said vertical portions, traveling members threaded on said screws and pivoted to the ends of said closure, pitmans terminally pivoted to said vertical portions and the ends of said closure, said horizontal portion being hollow, an elongated rod disposed within said horizontal portion, a bearing supported in said horizontal portion and rotatably supporting said rod, a pair of relatively short vertical shafts carried by said horizontal portion and connected to the lower ends of said screws for rotation therewith, a pair of relatively short horizontal shafts rotatably supported by said horizontal portion, a worm mounted on each horizontal shaft, additional worms on the vertical shafts meshing with the worms on the horizontal shafts, further worms on the ends of said rod meshing with the Worms on said horizontal shafts, and manually operable means carried by the horizontal portion and connected to one of the vertical shafts for rotatin the latter and hence both screws to move the traveling members.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said manually operable means includes a crank handle rotatably supported by one end of said horizontal portion.

4. A window structure comprising a frame including a pair of vertical portions and a horizontal portion joining the lower ends of said vertical portions, a pair of vertical screws rotatably supported by said vertical portions, a closure extending horizontally between said vertical portions, travelling members threaded on said screws and pivoted to the ends of said closure, pitmans terminally pivoted to said vertical portions and the ends of said closure, said horizontal portion being hollow, an elongated rod disposed within said horizontal portion, a bearing supported in said horizontal portion and rotatably supporting said rod, a pair of relatively short vertical shafts carried by said horizontal portion and connected to the lower ends of said screws for rotation therewith, a pair of relatively short horizontal shafts rotatably supported by said horizontal portion, gear means connecting said horizontal shafts to said vertical shafts for rotation of the horizontal shafts with the vertical shafts, additional gear means connecting the horizontal shafts to the ends of the rod, and manually operable means on the horizontal portion and connected to one vertical shaft for rotating all of the shafts and the rod as a unit, said rod including a central spherical portion, a bearing cap mounted in said horizontal portion and rotatably receivin said spherical portion, said cap having openings therein receiving the rod and aclosure threaded on said cap and retaining said spherical portion in said cap.

ARTHUR J. COTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 272,339 Shuman -1 Feb. 13, 1883 1,152,425 Lovell Sept. f7, 1915 1,178,283 Winter' Apr. :4, 1916 1,306,868 Tuomi June 17, 1919 1,415,354 Jacobs et al. May 9, 1922 1,427,110 Knight Aug. 29, 1922 1,619,167 Tuomi Mar. 1, 1927 2,090,552 Ready Aug. 17, 1937 2,103,864 Moseley Dec. 28, 1937 2,224,365 Wiley Dec. 10, 1940 2,232,297 Wiley Feb. 18, 1941 2,272,722 Morin Feb. 10, 1942 2,315,542 Peremi et al Apr. 6, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,347 Great Britain Mar. 30, 1915 779,389 France Jan. 14, 1935 

